Jurgen Klopp has criticised his players for not supporting Darwin Nunez enough during Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to RB Salzburg on Wednesday evening.

The Reds lost in Austria thanks to Manchester United target Benjamin Sesko's first-half strike. New signing Nunez, 23, was criticised after the friendly for failing to find the net. He scored four goals in Liverpool's recent 5-0 win against RB Leipzig.

Klopp was keen to support the Uruguayan international at full-time. Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in an £85million deal earlier this summer after scoring 34 goals in all competitions last season, including two against the Reds in the Champions League.

Darwin was much too often alone," Klopp told Liverpool's website. "Everybody dropped, everybody was involved in the build-up but too wide and we could only pass the ball to Darwin in the box. He had his moments and nearly scored, but he needs much more support around him.

"You keep other players busy that they cannot focus on him. So many things. Second half, imagine now Darwin would have been there in the box, that would have helped as well. It is like it is - doesn’t feel great, but we take it and go from here."

Liverpool have experienced an indifferent pre-season, recording wins against Crystal Palace and Leipzig but defeats against Man Utd and Salzburg. Their next game is against Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday.

Although Klopp would love to get his hands on another trophy, he'll be more interested in Liverpool's Premier League opener against Fulham at Craven Cottage next Saturday. The Reds finished just a point behind Pep Guardiola's side in last season's title race.

On his team's performance against Salzburg, Klopp added: "First half we made too many mistakes, which they could use. We had good moments as well, we could have scored obviously in the whole game like four or five goals at least.

"Didn’t do that because we were in the first half – if you want to talk about football – we were too open, we were too wide, we were not connected enough in moments when you lose the ball. Then everything is open, it’s like a motorway, and with their speed that’s how they had their chances, especially when you lose simple passes where nobody can react really.

They scored their goal and the last half an hour was like a thunderstorm, we were really like a truck. But we didn’t finish the situations off. Obviously we should involve that in our game as well and then it will be fine."

Klopp wasn't too happy about the Salzburg's physicality. "For Salzburg it was definitely no friendly," he claimed. "For us not as well. Salzburg had these kind of harsh challenges, but they do really well; all respect to Salzburg, they do really well.

"Sometimes I didn’t like the challenges too much but it’s fine, nothing happened there I think. How I said, first half too many mistakes. We set the boys up and it’s all fine, they can do much better and they had good moments as well."